OMCs monitor E20 fuel quality regularly, tests conducted up to 12 times per day: Govt
New Delhi, Aug 4
Seeking to allay concerns over reports of fuel contamination and adulteration, the government on Tuesday clarified that fuel quality is monitored regularly by oil marketing companies and that surveillance has been further intensified, while water ingress testing is now being conducted 8-12 times a day at more than 87,000 fuel retail outlets across the country.
According to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), only two cases of chloride contamination have been detected across the country so far with fuel sales at both retail outlets suspended immediately.
"Only two cases of chloride contamination have been found in the entire country till now and sales from those pumps were suspended immediately," it said.
Over 2,000 fuel samples have also been tested for chloride and sulphide contamination, the ministry in a post on the social media platform X.
The ministry further added that strict action would be taken if any contamination or adulteration is detected at retail outlets and that OMCs have been instructed to proactively monitor the entire fuel supply chain to identify any possible contamination.
Alongside the clarification, the ministry also released a series of infographics highlighting the quality assurance process for E20 petrol, amid concerns over fuel quality.
The ministry said ethanol used for blending must conform to BIS IS 15464 standards and maintain a minimum purity of 99.6 per cent, with every dispatch accompanied by a certified quality report.
It added that dedicated storage facilities, regular quality monitoring and sampling of every ethanol tanker from both the top and bottom before acceptance are part of the safeguards to prevent contamination.
Quality checks are enforced before every delivery and disclosed that 302 tank trucks carrying nearly 10,500 kilolitres of ethanol were rejected between July 2024 and June 2026 for failing prescribed quality standards, according to the government.
The clarification comes amid media reports raising concerns over alleged instances of fuel contamination at some retail outlets.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Only 2 cases of chloride contamination in the entire country? That seems surprisingly low given the media reports. I've heard stories from friends in smaller towns about getting bad fuel. Maybe the checks are good in cities but rural areas need more attention too. Just saying...
I'm a farmer and use diesel for my tractor. The push for E20 is fine for cars but what about us? Also, rejecting 302 tankers with 10,500 kilolitres of bad ethanol between 2024-2026 shows the system works. Better to reject at source than sell contaminated fuel. Good job, but please extend same scrutiny to diesel too. 🚜
As someone who recently had to get my car's fuel injectors cleaned because of suspected bad petrol, I'm skeptical. They say all these tests happen, but when I complained to the dealer and the OMC, no one followed up with me. The system sounds good on paper but the ground reality is different. Just my experience.
The transparency here is appreciated. Publishing infographics and quality reports is a step in the right direction. But why wait for media reports to clarify? The government and OMCs should be sharing this kind of data monthly, proactively. Then we wouldn't have panic every time there's a rumour. 📊
Living in India for 3 years now, I've noticed fuel quality varies a lot between states. The 99.6% ethanol purity standard is good, but what about the other 0.4%? And testing from top and bottom of tankers is smart, but do they also test after long
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